Japan’s Softbank in talks to acquire Sprint for $12.8B

According to a report in Reuters, Japanese mobile carrier Softbank is in advanced talks to acquire US carrier SprintNextel. News of this acquisition was first leaked by public broadcaster NHK. According to the report, the deal would be worth $12.8 billion and is the first international acquisition for Softbank, which is the #3 carrier in Japan. Softbank would be looking to acquire Sprint as a way to cheaply procure smartphones and other mobile devices, says the Reuters report.